Charles D. Provan
Encyclopedia
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
, one-time Holocaust denier
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
, and author based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Monongahela, colloquially called "Mon City," is a Third Class City in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, located approximately south of the city proper. The population was 4,761 at the 2000 census...
who later in life rejected Holocaust denial after his investigations led him to conclude that eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust were believable. He attended Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
for a few years and then transferred to the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
to study history, although he never graduated. Provan was a manager of Zimmer Printing of Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Monongahela, colloquially called "Mon City," is a Third Class City in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, located approximately south of the city proper. The population was 4,761 at the 2000 census...
. Married and the father of 10 children, he died of natural causes on December 11, 2007, at the age of 52.
On the subject of World War II history, Provan came to shock Holocaust deniers by proving that their assumptions were misleading.
As a Christian theologian, Provan was an advocate of a strict constructionist
Constructionism
Constructionism may refer to* Social constructionism* Strict constructionism — a term referring to a conservative type of legal or constitutional interpretation* Constructionist learning — an educational philosophy developed by Seymour Papert...
stance on contraception. His book The Bible and Birth Control is regarded as providing theological justification for adherents within the Quiverfull
Quiverfull
Quiverfull is a movement among some conservative evangelical Christian couples chiefly in the United States, but with some adherents in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and elsewhere. It promotes procreation, and sees children as a blessing from God, eschewing all forms of birth control,...
movement.
In 2007 Provan wrote a series of studies of allegories in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, premised on his theory of "conditional prophecy." These articles were published in Christian News, edited by Herman Otten. Provan expressed other controversial exegetical
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
views in Christian News, including the idea that two books of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
: The Song of Solomon
The Song of Solomon
"The Song of Solomon" is a song written by British singer Kate Bush, included as the fifth track on her 1993 album The Red Shoes. Thematically, the song deals with a lovelorn female, appealing to her lover for solace; the title of the song reflects this, coming from the book of the Old Testament...
and Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes
The Book of Ecclesiastes, called , is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth , introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal...
were warnings concerning both the late-life degeneracy of King Solomon and thinking and behavior about which believers should not engage.
Provan's titles include:
- The Bible and Birth Control,
- No Holes? No Holocaust?
- The Church Is Israel Now
External links
- Chapter of Provan's The Bible and Birth Control available here.